Karzai saddened by deaths of 46 Afghan migrants

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Sunday he was saddened by the deaths of 46 Afghans who suffocated in a truck container in Pakistan that was reportedly bound for Iran, and warned against illegal migration.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Sunday he was saddened by the deaths of 46 Afghans who suffocated in a truck container in Pakistan that was reportedly bound for Iran, and warned against illegal migration.

Pakistani security forces found the victims crammed into the container outside the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Saturday.

Karzai's office released as statement saying he was deeply saddened by the deaths of the group, who were likely heading to Iran for to look for work.

The president had asked his foreign ministry to investigate in coordination with the Pakistani authorities, it said.He also "demanded people avoid dangerous illegal migration and not be deceived by smugglers."

Thousands of Afghans sneak abroad every year to find work, with jobs scarce in their impoverished homeland.

Three of the dead were teenagers aged between 13 and 15, Pakistani police said. Another 45 people found unconscious in the container were admitted to hospital.